Ivanhoe (1952 film)

Ivanhoe is a 1952 Anglo-American co-production film based on the 1819 novel of the same name by Sir Walter Scott.

The film, directed by Richard Thorpe and starring Robert Taylor, Elizabeth Taylor, Joan Fontaine, George Sanders and Finlay Currie, had three Oscar nominations.

Plot

Upon his return from the Crusades, King Richard the Lionheart (Norman Wooland) is imprisoned in Austria. To rescue him, a large sum of money is necessary, which his brother John Landless (Guy Rolfe) refuses to pay, since that way he can continue to usurp the throne of England. Among Ricardo's supporters is the Saxon knight Wilfred de Ivanhoe (Robert Taylor), who fights for the ransom. Ivanhoe was the son of Cedric the Saxon (Finlay Currie), leader of the Saxon resistance to Norman rule. But he had disowned his son because he had gone on the Crusades without his permission, temporarily abandoning Lady Rowena (Joan Fontaine), the last descendant of Saxon royalty.

For this reason, Ivanhoe will have to reconcile with his father first, in order to get him and the other Saxons who support King Richard to fight against John Landless in order to restore their rightful king to the throne.

To get his father's pardon, Ivanhoe attends a tournament organized by Prince John and his traitorous barons, but before taking part in it, Ivanhoe saves a Jew, Isaac of York (Felix Aylmer), from being assassinated. As a reward for his action, her beautiful daughter Rebecca (Elizabeth Taylor) gives her jewelry to Ivanhoe so that she can purchase armor, weapons, and a horse to participate in the tournament. Rebeca has begun to fall in love with Ivanhoe.

By the time Ivanhoe arrives incognito at the tournament, bearing the name The Disinherited, the Norman champions have vanquished all the Saxons who dared stand against them. Ivanhoe will face them one by one until he defeats them all; namely Sir Ralph de Vipont, Phillip de Malvoisin, Front de Boeuf (Francis De Wolff), Sir Hugh de Bracy (Robert Douglas) and the Templar Sir Brian de Bois-Gilbert (George Sanders), who had already clashed with Ivanhoe in the Holy Land.

It is precisely Bois-Gilbert who seriously wounded Ivanhoe in the last fight, although he was also defeated because De Bracy had slightly injured him in the previous clash. Finally, Ivanhoe is declared the winner and is granted the right to choose the queen of the tournament, Ivanhoe chooses Lady Rowena, to the disappointment of Rebeca who has come with her father to see the match. Ivanhoe collapses from his injuries and everyone discovers his identity, which until then had remained hidden; even his father extols him for his feat. But, it is Rebeca, who after conversation and agreement with Lady Rowena, also very concerned about the fate of the Ivanhoe warrior, takes care of moving him to her house in order to care for him and heal his wounds until she reaches her complete recovery..

Doune Castle in Scotland: one of the shooting sites of the film.

From that moment the action becomes hectic. In Ivanhoe's transfer, he is taken prisoner along with his Jewish protectors, as well as his father and his entourage, including Lady Rowena. They are all taken to Oxfront Castle, where Bois-Gilbert will woo Rebecca, and de Bracy will woo Lady Rowena.

But the Norman traitors are surprised by Robin of Locksley (Robin Hood) (Harold Warrender) and his men, who storm the castle. Front of Ox dies in the defense, de Bracy surrenders, and Bois-Gilbert flees with Rebecca to the sanctuary of the Templars.

Ivanhoe manages to collect the ransom for Ricardo, receiving among others the contribution of Isaac of York and part of the Jewish people who contribute with money emoluments from their people to achieve the release of King Ricardo.

Meanwhile, Rebeca is tried as a sorceress or witch, for using her herbal knowledge to cure the sick, and accused of having put a spell on the knight Bois-Gilbert, who deep down is hopelessly in love with her. About to be sentenced, Ivanhoe throws down her glove, as a symbol of challenge and requests a Judgement of God, in which Rebeca's innocence or guilt will be decided in a tournament to the death between the challenger of the defendant, Ivanhoe, and the prosecution's chosen champion, who is definitely Bois-Gilbert.

Rebeca attends the duel between the two brave warriors: one, the one she loves, determined to prove his innocence; the other who loves her, condemned to prove her guilt, after a demonstration of the two knights in their skill in handling weapons, Ivanhoe will kill Gilbert and save Rebeca. At that moment, King Ricardo Corazón de León bursts into the tournament together with his knights, his brother Juan Sin Tierra, the usurper, lowers his head as a sign of submission and is subdued, while the true king, Ricardo Corazón de León, exhorts all the people to strengthen the union.

Cast

• Robert Taylor... Ivanhoe
• Elizabeth Taylor - Rebecca
• Joan Fontaine - Lady Rowena
• George Sanders - Brian De Bois-Gilbert
• Emlyn Williams - Wamba
• Robert Douglas - Hugh De Bracy
• Finlay Currie - Cedric
• Felix Aylmer - Isaac of York
• Francis De Wolff - Front De Boeuf
• Norman Wooland - Ricardo Corazón de León
• Basil Sydney - Waldemar Fitzurse
• Harold Warrender - Locksley

Reception

The film was a huge commercial success. It was also the second highest grossing film in the United States in 1952.